Junta bombs Buddhist monastery in Taungup

By Admin 27 Sep 2025

DMG Newsroom

27 September 2025, Taungup

Locals in Taungup town, Arakan State, under the control of the Arakan Army (AA), say they are living in fear after the military junta bombed a Buddhist monastery.

On the evening of September 26, around 4 p.m., a junta jet fighter dropped a 500-pound bomb on the Tap Oo Monastery, located near the No. 5 Operational Command Headquarters (Sa Ka Kha 5) in Kanpyin Ward, Taungup. The strike destroyed an entire monastery building, though no civilians were injured. Residents said the strike left the community deeply shaken and fearful of further attacks.

"Even staying at home, we have to be cautious. Even when eating, we stay alert. Every night, when we go to bed, the only sound we hear is the noise of aircraft. There is no such thing as feeling safe," said a 40-year-old woman from Taungup.

This was not the first time Taungup had been targeted. On April 4, 2025, a junta airstrike on Salu Village injured three civilians. Earlier, on October 7, 2024, another junta bombing struck Tanlwae Village at night, killing at least 16 civilians including children, and injuring at least five others.

The Arakan Army fully captured Taungup Township on December 14, 2024. Since then, the junta has repeatedly targeted non-military sites such as religious buildings, schools, and civilian homes in areas under AA control.

"Every day, we live with fear of the next bomb. When the junta strikes, everything is destroyed. The worry is constant," said another local woman.

Civilian casualties - including children and students - have steadily risen due to junta airstrikes across Arakan State.

According to the United League of Arakan/Arakan Army (ULA/AA) Humanitarian and Development Cooperation Office (HDCO), from November 2023 when fighting began in Arakan, up to August 2025, junta airstrikes killed 102 people and injured 213 others.

DMG's own tally shows that between June 2024 and September 2025, Taungup Township alone was hit by at least 21 airstrikes, killing no fewer than 52 civilians and injuring at least 73 more.